Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

At a glance

What stands out: Dreamy lemon cream cheese frosting, sweet yet subtly tart, attractively flecked with bits of lemon zest, is the reliable topping for your favorite cakes.

How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, electric mixer, zester or microplane, juicer
Servings: makes 2 cups

From-scratch Cream Cheese Frosting

Who doesn’t love cream cheese frosting? Carrot cakes wouldn’t be the same without a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Or how about those favorite pumpkin bars or banana bread bars? The addition of cream cheese to frosting gives it a subtle tang that is so indisputably delectable. We think you’ll agree that from-scratch cream cheese frosting is far better than canned frosting and it’s straightforward to mix.

We were first introduced to lemon cream cheese frosting by our mom who always frosts her famous banana cake with it. Lemon cheese frosting goes evenly with this white layer cake with lemon filling, too. We just love this recipe and we're sure you will, too!

lemon cream cheese frosting

Lemon enhances the flavor of cream cheese. Lemon cream cheese frosting is basically cream cheese frosting made even more rich with the addition of lemon juice and lemon zest. It puts the wow! into your frosting. The lemony taste evenly complements and enhances the tanginess of cream cheese and balances the sweetness inherent in frosting. You get a sweet/sour thing going on, kind of like SweetTarts.

Works for a variety of cakes. Lemon cream cheese frosting is reliable for lemon cake, vanilla or white cake, banana cake, or pretty much any kind of cake. (Except for chocolate cake, maybe. For that, there’s chocolate cream cheese frosting.)

straightforward to mix. You can make this frosting in about ten minutes. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to make fantastic frosting. It’s straightforward and there’s nothing tricky about it. There’s no cooking involved and no fancy ingredients.

How it comes together

Be sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. You need to take the cream cheese and butter out of the fridge to soften. How long? It depends on how warm your kitchen is. If it’s a hot summer day or if you have a warm place in your kitchen, it won’t take long. The butter and cream cheese should be close to room temperature. The butter should be soft, not melted, and hold an indentation when you press your finger into it.

…or warm them up in the microwave. If you forget to take them out ahead of time, the microwave is your friend. Unwrap the cream cheese and butter, place them on a plate, and microwave at low power (30-50% power) in one minute intervals until both are softened, but not melted. Trust us, we've resorted to that process many times.

Prep the lemon. Zest a lemon and squeeze the juice from it. Set those two items aside.

Beat the ingredients. Put the softened cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat until the mixture is creamy and fluffy. We use our electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice, beating until the mixture is the right consistency. Too thin? Add more sugar. Too thick? Add more lemon juice. Fold in the lemon zest and you’re ready to frost.

Frost the cake. Make sure your cake is totally cool before you frost it. Warm cake + frosting = a mess.

Ways to change it

• Use lemon extract. If you don’t have a lemon, you can use a teaspoon of lemon extract. Add a teaspoon or two of milk to get the desired texture. The frosting won’t taste exactly the same but it will still be good, more like canned frosting, we guess.
• Try different flavors. To make plain vanilla cream cheese frosting, omit the lemon and add one and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract and a teaspoon or two of milk. Another flavoring option is maple extract or almond extract.
• Make a cream cheese glaze. If you’re frosting a bundt cake or a coffee cake, you want a cream cheese glaze or drizzle. Make cream cheese frosting with only one cup of powdered sugar. Mix in hot water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency for drizzling or pouring.

Make Ahead/Storage

Refrigerate: Prepare cream cheese frosting up to a week in advance and refrigerate it in a tightly covered container. Take the frosting out of the fridge an hour before you plan on frosting your cake so it has a chance to soften slightly. Give it a good stir and you’re ready to frost.

Freeze: Cream cheese frosting can also be frozen for up to a month. For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge.

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 package ( 8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon, zest it first!)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Method

1. In a large bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice; beat until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in lemon zest.
4. If frosting seems too thick, beat in additional juice, ½ teaspoon at a time. If frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time.
5. Frost completely cooled cake. For best results, chill frosted cake before cutting. We usually refrigerate cakes frosted with cream cheese frosting.

Notes

Yield: Makes 2 cups. Frosts a 9 x 13-inch cake, or 12 to 24 cupcakes, depending on how generously you frost them.. Make 1 ½ batch for layer cakes, double batch to frost and fill layer cake.

Storage: Store in refrigerator for up to one week; in freezer, for up to one month. Thaw in refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator an hour before using to soften, stir well.